IN THE SHOW: Glace Bay’s Logan Shaw fitting in well with Anaheim Ducks

Logan Shaw, left, celebrates his goal with Anaheim teammate Andrew Cogliano against the Calgary Flames on April 2. (Larry MacDougal/The Canadian Press)

As Logan Shaw fired a snap shot past Carey Price and off the crossbar in the third period of an easy win for the Anaheim Ducks over the Montreal Canadiens Friday, I couldn’t help but wince and wish the shot had been about six inches lower.

It would have been great to call Shaw’s first goal of the season. After all, it’s easy to pull for someone who works as hard and is as genuinely nice as Shaw.

I was happy and more than a bit surprised that the Glace Bay native remembered me when I approached him in the Ducks dressing room following the team’s game-day morning skate. We talked about his days as a Cape Breton Screaming Eagle.

“I’ve seen the video on YouTube a couple of times from when the Eagles drafted me,” says Shaw. “It was pretty cool that (former Cape Breton captain) James Sheppard handed me my jersey. I had the braces going and everything.”

Shaw was 15 when his home-town QMJHL team drafted him. Now he’s 25 and in his third full year in the NHL. He was drafted by the Florida Panthers six years ago. Last November, he was dealt to the Ducks.

“I was actually putting my gear on to get ready to play a game in the AHL and the coach called me into his room and told me I was traded to Anaheim,” recalls Shaw. “I wasn’t expecting to be traded so it was kind of strange. I went to San Diego (AHL) and played a couple of games there and then came here. After I got comfortable, I was really happy with the change.”

Shaw said the Ducks made it clear what his role was going to be. “It’s more of a defensive role. I want to chip in offensively when I can. Hopefully that will come, but for now it’s to play strong on the defensive side of the puck, and to kill penalties. That’s how I contribute to this team and I feel comfortable doing that.”

Shaw is certainly well-schooled in the defensive side of the game, something that began a long time ago. “All my coaches growing up helped but I had my dad (Gerard) coming through minor hockey and I had Sonny MacDougall and Greg O’Neill. They ran a hockey school together and they were all great coaches and mentors for me. If you’re not a 50-goal scorer in junior, you’re not going to score up here. You have to do something to stand out and for me it was on the other side of the puck.”

While Shaw says he is “always nervous because you never know what can happen,” he definitely feels he belongs in the NHL. “It’s pretty neat to come from Glace Bay and be here in Southern California,” he says. “I’m happy but I’m not satisfied. I want to stay here. I don’t want to look back and have any regrets.”

Shaw knows he has his hometown behind him as he continues to live his dream. “They had an appreciation night for me two summers ago. It was pretty awesome to see the kids come out. I know when I was going to the Screaming Eagles games, I was star-struck, and so I know where they’re coming from.

“I think it’s awesome to be a role model for those kids. For me it’s important when I’m home to take the time for them and appreciate them for supporting me. Hopefully they can have fun with the game and enjoy it and make friends like I have. What makes me feel so good is that none of them try to bring me down. They’re all behind me.”